Synthetic cannabis products now within teens' reach

Marijuana use is illegal at the federal level and in some states, including North Carolina, but today there are more daily users of pot than alcohol. The legalization of hemp via the 2018 Farm Bill set the stage for a tsunami of synthetic THC products to enter the market. The lack of regulation of these goods has particular risks for teens who are being exposed to products with high concentrations of THC, according to researchers.

"Currently the potency of the products available are extremely high. They're really, really intoxicating. The higher the potency of the products, the more problems you will have even if you use it casually," says Alfonso Romero-Sandoval, an anesthesiologist who researches cannabis at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

Studies show that using marijuana as an adolescent affects brain development and can affect cognitive functions like memory. Romero-Sandoval adds that teens who turned to marijuana during the pandemic to cope with anxiety and depression experienced worsening symptoms. 

Radio 101 student reporters Marlon, MJ, and London found that both school staff and students are concerned about the wide variety of products circulating amongst peers and on social media.